Automatic flush-valve



J. McNElL. AUTOMAT'ICIFLUSH VALVE. APPLICATION FILED MAR- 29. 1:911.

1,355,988; Patented Oct. 19,1920.

of Hamilton and btate of UNITED STATES rArENr OFFICE.

JOHN MCNEIL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE JOHN DOUGLAS COMPANY,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AUTOMATIC FLUSH-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Application filed March 29, 1917. Serial No. 158,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MoNmL, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and lresident of Cincinnati, in the county Ohio, have in venteda new and useful Improvement in iiutomatic-Flush-Valves, of which thefollowing is a specification.

An object of my invention is to produce an improved automatic flushvalve for tanks, in which corrosion of the parts will not affect theoperation of the valve.

This and other objects are attained in the construction described in thefollowin spe'cificationiand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fi ure 1 is a cross sectional view or a tank disclosing avalve'embodying my invention, mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a view ofthe parts disclosed in Fig. l, but showing the valveelements moved to different positions.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. '1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a pivot joint of my improved valve.

My improved valve consists of a siphon 5 having one of its branches 6extending through the bottom of the tank and provided with any suitablemeans, such as the screw threads 7, for connection with the pipe adaptedto conduct the flush water from the tank, the opposite branch 8 of thesiphon extending to a point adjacent to the bottom of the tank andadaptedto be uncovered by the valve 9 to permit the water to enter thesiphon and to be discharged therethrough. Valve 9 is loosely mountedupon an arm 10 pivotally mounted at a point 11 on a bracket 12 extendingfrom the lower end 13 of branch 8 to the siphon. Arm 10, at its pivotpoint 11, is loosely mounted. Valve 9 consists of a disk 14 of rubber orother suitable yielding material having washers 15 and 16 upon its resective upper and under sides. These was ers are materially smaller indiameter than the 60 opening of end 13 of siphon 5, so that the yieldingmaterial of valve disk 14 will yield when the valve is brought to itsclosed position and be held therein by the pressure of the water in thetank. Pivot pin 1'7 of valve 9 is very loosely mounted so that the valvemay seat itself without difliculty when moved to its closed position.Opposite bracket 12, a lug 18 is formed on end 13 of siphon 5. This lugis adapted to carry guides 19 and 20 which extend dow11- wardly andguide arm 10 in its upward and downward movements, so that valve 9 maybe moved to register properly with the opening in end 13. These guidesare of sufficient distance apart to permit of free movement of arm 10,so that no corrosion oi the metal thereof will render the valveinoperative by causing its parts to stick.

1 he movable endv 21 of arm 10, is pivotallyconnected at a point 22,with the lower end 23 of a yoke or fork 24. The pivotal connection 22,like connections 11 and 17, is also a very loose one. One branch 25 ofyoke 24 including an upwardly extending rod 26 is reciprocally mountedin a lug 27 76 extending from the top 28 of siphon 5, stop nuts 29 beingprovided on the rod for limiting the downward movement of yoke 24. Themounting of rod 26 in lug 27 is also a very loose one. Between branches25 and 30 of yoke 24, a rod 31 is located, the rod being loosely mountedin the ends of branches 25 and 30; Upon rod 31 and rigidly connectedtherewith is mounted a' cup 32, adapted when empty to act as a float bymeans of which valve 9 is lifted to its closed position, and when filledto act as a weight by means of which the valve is opened. Secured to oneside of cup 32 is a hollow member 33 adapted to act as an air chamber toincrease the buoyancy of cup 32 and also to restore the cup to such aposition that it may act as a float. Located below rod 31 is a pin 34extending from one side of the cup and adapted to engage the oppositeside of branch 25 of yoke 24 from that on which member 33 is located.The purpose of this pin will be hereinafter more fully described.Extending into the tank is a pipe 35 adapted to conduct the water withwhich the tank is filled, avalve 36 being located at the upper end ofthe pipe for controlling the rate of delivery of water to the tank.

In describing the operation of my improved automatic flush valve, thetank will be considered as having been filled, the parts of the valvehaving been brought to occupy the positions disclosed in Fig. 1. In thiscondition, the water level is increased until the water overflows intothe cup as disclosed in Fig. 4. As soon as the cup has been sufficientlyfilled to overcome its buoyancy, it sinks, its weight and that of yoke24 and its connected parts, causing valve 9 to open against the pressureof water in the tank. Since the water level, at this time is above thetop 28 of siphon 5, the water rises rapidly in branch 8 of the siphonand passes over into branch 6. The fall of the water through branch 6then produces the siphonic action, causing the water in the tank to bewithdrawn until the open end of branch 8 is reached. As the water leveldrops to its 5 position, hollow member 33 of cup 32 also drops,gradually tipping the cup and emptying its contents. This brings the cupto the position. disclosed in Fig. 2, which figure also shows the waterlevel after operation of the siphon has taken place. Since the deliveryof water to the tank through valve 36, is constant, the water levelwithin the tank is gradually increased. As the alter rises, member 33 ofcup 32 floats upon the surface and gradually restores the cup to itsupright position, stop pin 34 gradually being brought to engage branch25 of yoke 24 to prevent the cup being moved beyond its normal verticalposition such as disclosed in Figs. 1, 3 and 4-. Simultaneously with itsrestoration to its normal position, the cup lifts yoke 24 and througharm 10 also lifts valve 9 to bring it into engagement with the open endof branch 8 of. the siphon. Since valve disk 14: is of yielding materialand since valve 9 is loosely mounted on pin 17 upon arm 10, it is causedto seal the opening of branch 8 quickly and effectually. This preventsthe passage of water through the siphon, the parts being so designedthat the valve is closed before the water level reaches the point ofoverflowing from branch 8 to branch 6 of the siphon. As soon as theparts have been restored to the position disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, thewater level gradually rises to overflow into the cup as disclosed inFig. 4 for the purpose of again repeating the above described operationof emptying the contents of the tank. The periodical operation of thevalve may be regulated by controlling the delivery of water to the tankby means of valve 36, the requirements of the apparatus to which thedischarge branch 6 of siphon 5 is connected, governing this regulation.r

In my improved construction I have designed a flush valve in which allof the pivot pins as well as all parts where reciprocation occurs, cannot be affected by an accumulation of corrosion by which the valve maystick and be rendered inoperative. In addition to this I have provided avalve disk which is of such a yielding nature that particles ofcorrosion which may accumulate thereon and on the opening it is adaptedto close, will not effect the sealing thereof against the seepage ofwater between it and the siphon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is;

The combination of a tank and an automatic flush valve comprising asiphon, a guide secured to the siphon adjacent to its top, a bracketmounted upon the siphon ad- 'acent to its mouth, a guide secured to thesiphon opposite to the bracket, an arm pivoted to the bracket engagingthe second mentioned. guide, branches extending from the free end ofsaid arm, one of said branches adapted toengage the first mentionedguide, a float pivotally engaging said branches and adapted to becapsized by the emptying oi the tank and to be righted by the filling ofthe tank, a pin mounted upon the arm beneath the mouth of the siphon anda flexible disk secured upon the flange and of a diameter greater thanthe diameter of the mouth of the siphon.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th dayof March, 1917.

JOHN MoNEIL.

lVitnesses IVALTER F. MURRAY. WV. THORNTON BOGERT.

